The Merced Bears welcomed the El Capitan Gauchos for their first CCC league game of the season, bringing together two hometown rivals with high expectations entering the match. El Capitan entered the game with a six game winning streak and a 15-1 preseason record. The Bears, meanwhile, entered with a strong 13-4 preseason record of their own.
El Capitan set the tone early, with Rayonn Maxie opening the scoring from the free-throw line before adding a basket inside. Merced responded when Samantha Barragan secured a rebound and put in the Bears’ first points. Madysen Dietz turned the advantage back to the Gauchos with an impressive three-pointer, helping the Gauchos build confidence. The game quickly became physical, and as the fouls piled up, it became clear that the better shooting team would have the advantage. Despite the Bears falling behind early, Merced’s Antonia Lejarde made a key play, intercepting the ball and converting a layup to keep her team in the game. However, El Capitan was able to finish the quarter with a comfortable 20-10 advantage.
In the second quarter, Merced worked to stay close, but Alexis Valenzuela grabbed a rebound off a missed shot by Antonia Lejarde and took it back the other way for two points. Averie Steverson added points from the free-throw line, but El Capitan answered quickly with baskets from Madysen Dietz and Rayonn Maxie. Despite some struggles at the line, the Gauchos extended their lead with timely shots and consistent scoring. Merced’s Lejarde kept fighting, scoring late in the quarter, but El Capitan maintained control heading into halftime with a commanding 35-19 lead.
In the third quarter, El Capitan continued building a lead with more three-pointers from Alexis Valenzuela and Madysen Dietz. Merced battled back as Amachi Turner scored a crucial two-point basket to keep the Bears within striking distance. The pace slowed in the third quarter as the fouls continued to mount on both sides. Averie Steverson contributed a pair of free throws, helping Merced stay within a reasonable distance. Despite the Bears best efforts to close the gap, El Capitan was able to close out the quarter up 48-33.
In the fourth quarter, El Capitan maintained their dominance, continuing to hit deep shots, including a three-pointer from Avnoor Bains and a long two-pointer from Keira Mendoza. El Capitan’s Madysen Dietz capped off the game with a late two-point basket, granting the Gauchos an undeniable victory as El Capitan won 67-45.
Madysen Dietz described the win as a huge step for El Capitan’s season, saying, “It was awesome. It was the first step into being repeating CCC champion, and it was a big team win”. She highlighted their strong defense and grit but acknowledged areas to improve: “We played really good defense. We were gritty and played with heart the whole game. We need to work on turnovers and not giving them second-chance points and rebounds.” Looking ahead, Dietz said, “We hope to win and be back-to-back CCC champions this year.”
Merced’s Amachi Turner praised her team’s speed and quickness despite the loss: “Our strength was moving the ball fast, running back on defense and offense, and staying together as a whole.” Turner also described how she believes her team can move forward from this game, stating, “More communication and teamwork would improve us for the next game.”
Looking ahead, El Capitan will host Buhach Colony in their next league game while Merced will take on the Los Banos Tigers. Both games are scheduled for January 15th, at 7:15pm
- Photos by Grace Gallegos. ↩︎
